In the early 1960s, when Jack Heuer searched for inspiration for a new line of sporting chronographs, he found it in La Carrera Panamerica, the legendary Mexican road race. If you’re looking for a through and through racing chrono, the Heuer Carrera is it.

When introduced in 1963, the Carrera line was powered by a series of Valjoux manually-winding chronograph movements, but with the introduction of the automatic chronograph in 1969, demand began shifting towards automatics in a serious way, and production of the venerable hand-crankers slowed to a trickle. Fortunately, Heuer never completely abandoned manual-winding chronograph movements, and for those who appreciate their slimmer case proportions, reliability, and accuracy, Valjoux-powered models are constantly in demand.

This particular model, a Reference 73353, is a cushion-cased cousin to the more popular 1153 model, the latter powered by Heuer's new Calibre 11 automatic movement when introduced in '69. Inside sits a Valjoux 7733 movement, powering twin subsidiary registers and central chrono seconds. Featuring a silver sunburst dial with grey-blue subs and outer tachymeter ring, this particular piece is in strong original condition throughout, showing light normal signs of wear and use - and is clearly ready for much more!

With a slightly smaller case than the Autavia, the Carrera’s size hits the sweet spot for many of us. If you’re looking for something fun and sporty, the 70s Carrera is a great choice.